This invention generally relates to sweet dough mixes, especially so-called Danish-type sweet dough mixes, doughs and products baked from the doughs. More particularly, the invention relates to Danish dough mixes which work up into doughs having improved handling properties, which doughs bake up into sweet dough products having superior eating qualities, an advantageously soft texture, and an extended shelf life, particularly with respect to the onset of staleness. The sweet dough mix incorporates carboxymethyl cellulose.
Sweet or Danish dough systems are well known for making sweet rolls, pastries and the like. These doughs include substantial quantities of flour and of sweetening components such as granulated sugar, as well as other sweeteners. Products of this type are made in a variety of environments which vary in production volume. Included are Danish mixes intended for large volume baking production, such as is carried out at wholesale bakeries. Mixes of this type are typically sold in relatively large containers, such as 50-pound bags. Danish mixes of this type are added to other components at the wholesale bakery, for example. Typical components in this regard include eggs, yeast formulations, flavoring, water, and at times additional flour. Ingredients of this type are mixed in order to form a dough. Such doughs are then handled by commercial baking equipment. Such equipment manipulates the dough and/or provides the proper environment for the dough to develop certain attributes well known in the industry. Included is the use of equipment which passes the dough through or below rollers which flatten the dough and thin it to a shape suitable for forming into the sweet baked product being processed and made.
An issue which needs to be taken into consideration when processing sweet doughs on a large commercial scale is how well the sweet dough is handled by the dough production and baking equipment. At times, production difficulties are encountered because the dough exhibits an elastic character which tends to interfere with equipment which rolls the dough to shape and thin it to the extent required to makes these types of sweet baked goods. It is accordingly important that a sweet dough formulation be in a condition which is not so elastic as to shrink back after same is rolled by the dough handling equipment. It is accordingly desirable if a Danish sweet dough could be provided which is more easily handled when in its prebaked condition.
Sweet dough products are susceptible to the development of staleness after the sweet dough has been baked up into Danish-type pastries or other sweet dough originating baked products. One characteristic of staling is the gradual hardening of the baked product over time. Retardation of staleness is an important objective of baked products, particularly those which are baked on a wholesale level and which can be subjected to warehousing, transporting and shelf display times which allow for a greater opportunity for staling to develop before purchase and consumption. Shelf life issues of this type can be substantial in the realm of sweet dough baked goods which are sold within these types of channels of trade.
Issues which are almost always of substantial significance in baked dough products, particularly those sold at the wholesale level, include taste, eating quality, softness of texture, and moisture level. It is of course desirable that any attempted improvement in sweet dough mixes which are designed to improve on any of these attributes should not detrimentally affect any other attribute, whether it be a prebaked dough handling attribute, an attribute to address the staleness problem, or any other attempted improvement.